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Thursday, September 10, 2015

Patriot Day 2015

President Proclaims Patriot Day, Day of Remembrance
By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89),
the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day,”
and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress has
requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized
“National Day of Service and Remembrance”. President Obama officially
proclaimed September 11, 2015, as Patriot Day.

In his remarks,
the President said "On September 11, 2001, America experienced the worst terrorist attack in her history when nearly 3,000 men, women, and children were taken from us, leaving their families and our Nation with a void that can never be filled. But those who brought hate to our shores and smoke to our skies did not expect our country to emerge stronger, and our beacons of hope and freedom to shine brighter as a result. In the years since, we have stood strong as one people ‑‑ determined to further embolden our country's character with acts of endurance and strength; rebuilding and resilience; renewal and progress. In remembrance of the innocent victims who lost their lives and in honor of the families they left behind, let us continue to answer these heinous acts by serving our communities, lifting the lives of our fellow citizens, and spreading the hope that others tried to dim that day."

He continued, "As we reflect on the lives we lost and pay tribute to the families who still live with extraordinary pain, let us resolve to continue embodying the American spirit that no act of terror can ever extinguish. I call on all Americans to observe this National Day of Service and Remembrance with acts of selflessness and charity. In doing so, we prove once again that the power of those who seek to harm and to destroy is never greater than our power to persevere and to build. ”

During our pre-conference stay in New York in 2013, we decided to revisit the
site of the World Trade Center. The site was quite different from the
last time we were there. Rebuilding of the towers was moving along
nicely. The 9/11 Memorial
fountains had been completed. Click on the link above to view the album.

click on images to enlarge

Remembering 9/11/2001

Each year we recall where we were when learning about the terrorist attacks. We were on the inaugural voyage of Norwegian Sun, thousands of miles from home in Paris, France. Our tour bus was filled with our fellow passengers, the majority of whom lived in New York. The transatlantic cruise, we were on, was originally scheduled to conclude in New York but ended in Boston instead.

What was to have been a celebration of our 25th Anniversary, quickly became a very unique experience as we observed the hospitality and caring from so many people across the globe as our journey home continued.

See our article from 2011, FDNY May We Never Forget, on the 10th anniversary, as we recalled our journey back to New York to visit the site of the World Trade Center attacks. Should your cruise vacation plans include New York, we recommend spending some time at the WTC Memorial and other historic sites in the city.